The Loyalty Club

I am a store loyalty dream customer. I am that person that when asked whether I would like to join their club I say 'yes', as I haven't quite learnt the 'no word yet when it comes to joining the retail gang.

I feel important when a store assistant says 'have you got our exclusive club reward card?' At that precise moment I am top customer with my backstage pass and access to all areas of discounts and savings. It's like the gold card to store saving heaven.

Or is it though? Some are better than others, some stores tend to compete to have the ultimate reward system and others tend to have a very similar scheme running with no big surprises. Everyone has that reward card that has been sitting in their purse or wallet for about five years as they thought they would shop at this store regularly but in fact have never set foot in it again. You signed up for newsletters and emails as well didn't you? They pile into your inbox, the ignored bit, never to see the light of day and the store are pleading for you to take advantage of their deals. They almost reach desperation and send one last email saying 'stuff it, have this product for free but just use your special store card' because Jolene in charge of marketing needs to eat for the next month and she won't get her commission. if you don't use the dam card. 

I like a good reward scheme, something where I'm going to get something back such as money off the mountain of Costa coffee I purchase or I tend to save my Tesco vouchers until Christmas because they come in handy at such an expensive time of the year. I also like good discount offers so although I don't use it a lot I do get some great offers on a stay at Jury's Inn and discount off the amount of plants I seem to be buying at the garden centre at present. Most of them are quite useful and I suppose you are always going to use one more than the other depending on where you shop. I just have one for everywhere and then I'm covered. 

Tesco have just changed their club card over to a fancy contactless card. You just scan it over the card machine and job done. Easy peasy. I reckon they could be all like that really, would make it easier. It's the future along with plastic wipe down bank notes and Apple Pay. You can even keep all your cards on your smart phones now so will the pour old wallet become redundant? No of course not, we will still need somewhere to keep those teeny weeny annoying 5p's.

It makes shopping fun with the loyalty card, especially when I've gone out with my niece, we would decide on a shop and she would say 'you've got a card for here haven't you Auntie?' Of course I have even if the card only gives me 10 pence off my next brew, every saving counts.

I have to laugh if my mum picks up my handbag, she will always ask me what I've got in it as it weighs a ton. Should I tell her it's my collection of loyalty cards or just keep quiet as she may google some sort of loyalty card addiction therapy group for me and frankly I haven't got time for that.

So keep shopping and shop happy, it's ok to offer your loyalty to these people so carry your cards with pride. Thank you for reading and I will return tomorrow with a verse for Thursday.

Take care for now......